Why Alfred Hitchcock’s 1941 thriller Suspicion almost ended with a very different fate

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In Alfred Hitchcock’s 1941 psychological thriller Suspicion, Joan Fontaine plays a timid wife terrified that her charming husband, played by Cary Grant, is plotting her murder. While the film is celebrated for its tension, Hitchcock’s original vision for the ending was far darker, but external pressures forced a dramatic pivot.

The film, based on the 1932 novel Before the Fact by Francis Iles, follows Lina McLaidlaw, who marries Johnnie Aysgarth, a man she soon discovers is a penniless gambler and habitual liar. As Lina uncovers her husband's history of embezzlement and suspects his involvement in the death of his friend Beaky, her fear intensifies. The narrative reaches a breaking point when Johnnie questions an acquaintance about untraceable poisons and brings her a glass of milk, leading Lina to fear he is attempting to claim her life insurance.

Hitchcock’s original plan for the film’s conclusion was starkly different: he intended for the story to end with Lina’s suicide. However, this ending was discouraged, likely due to industry standards of the time. Instead, the final version features a tense confrontation in a speeding car on a cliffside road. Johnnie claims he was actually contemplating his own suicide rather than murder, and he resolves to face his legal troubles for embezzlement. The couple ultimately reconciles, turning the car around to face their future together.

The production was marked by significant behind-the-scenes shifts. RKO Radio Pictures initially hired Nathanael West and Boris Ingster to adapt the novel in 1939, but their screenplay was abandoned when Hitchcock took over the project with his own team, including his wife Alma Reville. The resulting film remains a landmark in Hitchcock’s career, notably earning Joan Fontaine the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1941. It holds the distinction of being the only film directed by Hitchcock to feature an Oscar-winning acting performance.

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